Sidewalk work and construction continue in Freedom Square Monday, April 22, 2013 at 101 Street and Fifth Avenue in North Central section of Troy. (J.S.Carras/The Record)

TROY -- A crew from Casale Inc. were pouring concrete at the sidewalk along 101st Street Monday morning as owner J.R. Casale said he had made a deal with the Sanctuary for Independent Media after initially volunteering his time to tear up the old sidewalk.

According to Sanctuary for Independent Media Executive Director Steve Pierce, Casale had donated the work necessary to dig up the sidewalk last month, but the sanctuary would be paying for the sidewalk to be completed.

Last year, sidewalks in various areas of South Troy were being repaired when Pierce said he talked to members of Casale Inc. about possibly working on the project in North Central, specifically at Freedom Square, as part of the renovations for the year-long Found Art in North Troy project.

"We've actually shown the project to as many city officials as we could," Pierce said. "We were trying to make the argument our sidewalk could be included in the [Community Development Block Grant funds] project."

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Pierce said Casale informed him he donated as much as he could afford so the Sanctuary would have to pay the remaining cost of completing the project.

The sidewalk had become a source of controversy after Planning and Economic Development Commissioner Bill Dunne was suspended for a week without pay after admitting his involvement in the project.

After he was suspended, Dunne took full responsibility for not informing his bosses -- namely Mayor Lou Rosamilia and Deputy Mayor Pete Ryan -- that he brokered the deal for Casale to volunteer work at Freedom Square.

"It's one of the best blocks in Troy. [The Sanctuary] asked for a favor. The contractor was willing to grant the favor," Dunne said in a previous story by The Record. "I didn't inform my bosses. I overstepped my bounds and I full accept my punishment."

Casale is contracted with the city to complete a number of projects paid for by federal CDBG money. Councilman Mark McGrath noticed Casale doing the work at Freedom Square and knew it wasn't one of the approved projects. When he started asking questions, Casale pulled out and said it was because the Rev. Willie Bacote - who is pastor with the AME Zion Church located across the street from Freedom Square - wasn't of the same Catholic persuasion as himself.

After Casale pulled out his crew, there was a big hole where the old sidewalk was and even though the work was said to be a donation to the sanctuary, Ryan previously said the city had been looking at prices on how to repair the sidewalk since it posed a hazard to residents. The city even went as far as putting out a request for proposals until Casale and the sanctuary struck their latest deal to finish the work.

"It wasn't until late Friday we learned that J.R. Casale of Casale Inc., would be completing the work and billing the Sanctuary for Independent Media," said spokeswoman Jessica Sibley in a prepared statement. "The misinformation was cleared up by Mr. Casale, who assured the city that the work would be billed to the Sanctuary for Independent Media and would be completed without any city involvement."